family history – if a close relative (parent, grandparent, brother or sister) has had a stroke, your risk is likely to be higher.age – people over 65 are most at risk of having strokes, although they can happen at any age – including in children.There are some risk factors you can't change like:

cutting down on the amount of alcohol you drink.

exercising regularly – this can help lower your cholesterol level and keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.

eating a healthy diet – a low-fat, low-salt, high-fibre diet is usually recommended, with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains.

In most cases it's possible to significantly reduce your risk of having a stroke by making lifestyle changes like However, there are sometimes other causes for these symptoms.

loss of feeling in one side of the body.

problems with balance and co-ordination.

difficulty understanding what others are saying.

complete paralysis of one side of the body.

Symptoms in the FAST test identify most strokes, but occasionally a stroke can cause different symptoms which might include:

Time – it’s time to phone 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms.

Speech – they might slur their speech or it might be garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake.

Arms – the person may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of arm weakness or numbness in one arm.

Face – the face might drop on one side, the person may not be able to smile or their mouth may have dropped, and their eyelid may droop.

The main symptoms of stroke can be remembered with the word FAST.

Stroke after effects personality